Courtesy of Mickey
by Aromaticity
Summary: Danny & Lindsay are together and happy... until someone decides Danny's more trouble than he's worth.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: They're not mine... Just having some fun. :)

A/N: This is my first fic. DL of course! A bit AU..

Summary: Danny & Lindsay are together and happy... until someone decides Danny's a bit more trouble than he's worth.

And so, without further ado... Courtesy of Mickey

* * *

Lindsay pulled the collar of her jacket tighter around her. The winds were blowing fiercely and she was cold. She had almost gone out that morning with only a light sweater on. It was early for this cool weather. _I'm going to have to dig out my coat. Looks like winter's coming early this year. _

She turned and opened the door to the apartment building. A blast of warm air met her as she stepped in. As she waited for the elevator, she rubbed her hands together and shifted from one foot to the other.

"It's a cold one tonight," a voice said. Lindsay looked up and smiled at the elderly woman. "Sure is, Mrs. Emerson," she replied. "I'm glad to be out of it. It's really brutal out there… It wouldn't even be so bad if not for the wind." The two of them stepped into the elevator car.

Mrs. Emerson reached over and patted her on the arm. "You're young, dear. Just be glad you don't have to deal with arthritis." The elevator chimed and the woman smiled at Lindsay. "You stay warm dear. Speaking of staying warm, say hello to that gorgeous Mr. Messer for me." She threw over her shoulder as she stepped off onto her floor.

Lindsay chuckled. "All right, Mrs. Emerson. I will. Good night." The elevator doors closed and she was alone. She took a deep breath and let it out through her mouth. The elevator chimed again and she stepped out, glancing at her watch as she made her way down the hall to Danny's apartment. Five-thirty. She had about an hour and a half before Danny would be home and she wanted their dinner to be ready by the time he got there. She pulled out her keys and opened the door.

She tossed her keys onto the table by the door and hung her jacket in Danny's coat closet. She rushed into the kitchen and got started on dinner

* * *

Danny stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets and picked up his pace. It was freezing! He couldn't wait to get to his apartment. His nice, warm, apartment where his fiancée was waiting for him. He smiled to himself. His fiancée! A couple of years ago, the very idea would have been hilarious to him. Marriage? Family? That was never what he saw for himself.

Then she waltzed into his life and turned it all upside down. She made him want more. When they started dating, he found himself thinking about marriage and children. Suddenly, Danny Messer was that guy. _I woulda' never guessed it._

Thinking about her brought a smile to his face and his hand out of his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial button for Lindsay's cell.

"Hey, gorgeous," she answered. "Where are you? Dinner's ready."

"I'm about twenty minutes away. It's freezing out here!" he told her.

Lindsay chuckled. "I know it. Hurry and get here so I can see about warming you up."

Danny grinned. "I'm hurrying, Montana. And I'm holding you to that."

"Alright, cowboy. I'm waiting... Love you."

"Love you too, Montana." Danny snapped his phone shut and shoved his hand back in his pocket.

Suddenly a dark figure blocked his path. "Aaw… Ain't that sweet?"

Danny looked up sharply and said, "Can I help you with somethin'?"

The man smiled cruelly and said, "Whaddaya think fellas? Can this punk _help_ us wit somethin'?"

Danny looked over his shoulder and saw two other guys pulling up behind him. He held up his hands and said, "Alright, guys. Whaddaya say we all go our separate ways, eh? Nothin' has to go down here tonight." Inwardly, he groaned. These guys were obviously looking for trouble and this was the last thing he needed.

The first man, who appeared to be the leader of the pack, stepped closer to Danny and said, "We say no deal. See, we gots a bone ta pick wit you, _Detective_ Messer. And we ain't goin noplace till we handle business."

"I'm sorry, pal. Have we met before?" Danny asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. They didn't look familiar. But they obviously knew who he was and it seemed as if they'd been looking for him. And it didn't look like it made any difference to them that he was a cop.

"Nah, we ain't never met before. But we have a, shall we say, common acquaintance." The three thugs stepped in closer, surrounding Danny. The leader lifted his jacket to reveal a gun. When he saw it, Danny felt vulnerable and exposed without his own weapon. "And that acquaintance wanted to send you a message."

Then, he felt the first blow. The last thing Danny heard before his world went black was "Courtesy of Mickey."


	2. Waiting game

Disclaimer: They're not mine! Just havig a little bit of fun...

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all the nice reviews! Sure do make a girl feel good... I'm thinking maybe there's something to this fanfic stuff after all :)

* * *

Lindsay glanced at the clock worriedly. It had been forty-five minutes since she'd spoken to Danny. He should have been home a half hour ago. She reached for the cordless phone to call him. Just as she was about to turn it on, her cell phone rang. She snatched it up off the table, glancing briefly at the caller ID. "Hello?" she answered. There was a question in her voice. The number was not one that she recognized. 

"Hi, I'm looking for a Lindsay Monroe?" the voice said.

Lindsay frowned. "This is Lindsay Monroe."

"Miss Monroe, my name is Julia Parker. I'm a nurse at Mercy General. Your name was listed as the emergency contact and next of kin for Detective Daniel Messer."

Lindsay felt her legs buckle beneath her. She sat down heavily on the couch. "What is it? What happened? Is he okay?" she asked the questions one after another, not giving the nurse a chance to answer.

The nurse hesitated. "Miss Monroe, Detective Messer was attacked tonight." 

* * *

Lindsay's breath caught in her throat as she walked into the hospital. She made her way to the nurse's station in the emergency department. "I'm Lindsay Monroe. My fiancé was brought here. His name is Danny Messer." 

The nurse looked up and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Yes, Miss Monroe. I'm Julia. I called you before."

"How is Danny? What happened?" Lindsay asked.

Julia sighed and replied, "He was in pretty bad shape when they brought him in. The doctor will have to explain but I can tell you that he is stable right now. He's been admitted and is in room 217. You can go ahead now and see him. His doctor will be by a little later to speak with you."

Lindsay gave her a small smile and thanked her before making her way to Danny's room.

When she walked into the room where Danny lay, she gasped softly. If she hadn't known that it was him, she would have never believed it. His face was bruised. An oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose and he looked nothing like himself. She sat down heavily on the chair next to the bed and sighed. "Danny, what happened?" she said the words in a whisper.

"I think I might be able to help answer that," a voice said.

Lindsay looked up and found a middle aged doctor standing at the door to Danny's room. "I'm Lindsay Monroe, Detective Messer's fiancée." She stood and crossed the room to shake hands with the doctor.

"Dr. Patterson. I worked on your fiancé." He gave her a small smile.

Lindsay looked back at Danny. "How is he?"

The doctor peered at her from behind his glasses and said, "He's stable now. He has a concussion, so we are going to need to monitor him closely for the next few hours. He took a pretty bad beating. He's got defensive wounds all over the place. A couple of broken ribs, one punctured his lung and caused it to collapse."

Lindsay gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. The doctor gave her a sympathetic look but continued. "We took care of it. He's in pain so we've got him on medication to ease that. The meds will make him groggy but in his condition, rest is a good thing. It looks like he was punched and kicked just about everywhere. We're keeping an eye on him to make sure there's no internal bleeding. So barring any serious complications, he should be able to go home in a few days."

Lindsay closed her eyes for a moment and brought her fingers up to massage her temples. She took a deep breath and let it out sharply. "Okay." She looked up at the doctor and nodded. "Is there anything else?"

The doctor smiled and shook his head. "Nope. That's about it." He reached out and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. He's going to be just fine."

She nodded and said more to herself than the doctor, "I'm sure he is. He has to be." She made her way back to the chair she'd been sitting in before the doctor arrived and lowered herself into it. "Alright, well, thanks doctor."

"No problem. And if you need anything, just hit the call button and a nurse will take care of you… Good night." And suddenly, they were alone again.

"Danny…" Lindsay whispered. "Wake up… Soon."


	3. Unexpected

Disclaimer: Don't own them... Just having some fun.

* * *

_  
One Year Later…_

Danny Messer rolled over in bed and hit the off button on the alarm clock before it woke Lindsay. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness of the room. He smiled when his gaze fell on his wife's face. _She's so beautiful,_ he thought to himself. He quietly eased himself out of bed and made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.

After he was done, before leaving the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror. "You are one very lucky man, Daniel Messer."

He left the bathroom and after checking to see that Lindsay was still asleep, he went into the kitchen to start on breakfast. Danny opened the fridge and was in the process of taking out the ingredients for an omelet when he felt a pair of arms slide around his waist.

"Hey, Montana, what are you doing up? You got another half hour to sleep before you gotta get ready for work." Danny stood up and turned in her arms wrapping his around her as he went. Lindsay buried her face in his neck.

"You got out of bed… Missed you," she murmured, her voice still heavy with sleep.

Danny chuckled. "Well, I _wanted_ to make you breakfast. You were supposed to stay asleep till I woke you. Coffee's ready though, if you want. While you work on that, I'll get started on your omelet."

Lindsay snuggled deeper in Danny's chest. "No… Leave it. I'm not hungry. How about you come back to bed?"

Danny pulled back and lowered his head to look at her face. "Oh, nuh uh… You gotta eat, Montana."

"No… I don't feel up to eating anything right now." She took Danny's hand and led him back to their bedroom.

"Whatsamatter? Don't feel so good?" Lindsay could hear the concern in his voice.

"I'm fine. My stomach's just a little upset. But mostly, I just want to get back in bed and spend a few minutes of quality time with my husband before I have to go to work… You're wasting prime snuggle time here buddy. You don't know when you'll have this opportunity again."

Danny laughed and got into the bed. "Well, with an offer like that…" He sat up against the headboard and wrapped his arms around Lindsay as she leaned into him, tucking her head under his chin.

"I could stay like this all day," she murmured. She kissed the side of his neck and closed her eyes.

"Me too, Montana. But unfortunately you gotta go into work and I gotta figure out something to do all day while you're gone."

Lindsay smiled into his chest. "You're creative, Messer. I'm sure you'll find some way to amuse yourself."

Danny dropped a kiss on the top of her head and said, "I'm thinkin' there's a lot more fun to be had when you get home tonight, Mrs. Messer."

Lindsay grinned and lifted her head for a kiss. "You know what, Mr. Messer? I'm thinking you may be right." 

* * *

Lindsay was walking down the hall in the lab when she felt her phone vibrating where it was clipped to her belt. "Messer," she answered without checking who was calling.

"You sure are," Danny's voice said with a smile.

Lindsay grinned. "Hey, you. How's it going?"

"It's alright, I guess. Miss you though," he replied softly.

Lindsay smiled at the tender tone in his voice. "I miss you too… It's too quiet around here without you."

"Hey! You tryin' to tell me somethin' there, Monroe?" he asked indignantly.

Lindsay laughed. "It's 'Messer' now. And I'm just saying you liven the place up a bit is all. Hold on a sec."

She opened the door to the DNA lab and handed a sample to Adam. "Hey Adam, do me a favor. Run this sample and page me or Hawkes as soon as you find anything. I'm heading over to Trace."

"Sure Lindsay, no problem," Adam replied already looking intently at the vial she'd handed him.

As she headed out the door she looked over her shoulder and said, "Thanks, Adam." Then she put her phone back to her ear. "Danny, what's the matter with us? It's not like we've never been on different shifts before."

Danny laughed. "I know, Montana. But it has been a while. I don't think we've worked different shifts since we got married. Six months is enough time to get used to it."

Lindsay nodded even though Danny couldn't see her. "I guess you're right. Anyhow, you know what they say; Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"I dunno, Montana. My heart's pretty fond of you already."

Lindsay smiled. "Mine too… Okay, well listen, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." They said goodbye and Lindsay snapped her phone closed and clipped it back to her belt.

As she was opening the door to Trace, Stella was stepping out. "Oh, I know that look. You thinking about Danny?" she asked grinning.

Lindsay could feel her face flushing. "Actually, I just got off the phone with him."

Stella laughed out loud. "Oh, girl you've got it bad… Good for you though, kiddo… so does he."

Lindsay grinned over her shoulder at Stella and headed into the Trace lab where Hawkes was waiting for her. He looked up when she walked in and smiled broadly. "Hey Lindsay, I've ID'd the trace we found on the vic. It's some kind of herbal supplement. Ingredients include…" 

* * *

Danny hit the speed dial button for Lindsay's cell as he left their apartment building. "Hey, have you eaten lunch yet?" he asked when she answered the phone.

"Linds?" Danny waited while Lindsay paused.

"Um, not exactly," she said finally. "I grabbed a nutrition bar a little while ago. Haven't really been feeling like eating anything today." Her voice was soft.

"What's up with you today, huh? Are you sure you're feeling alright?" He ran his free hand through his hair worriedly and sighed. "Baby, you've gotta eat. You want I should stop by and bring you a sandwich or somethin'? I'm already headed out." He opened the door to the car and waited, hoping she'd agree to at least that.

"I guess that sounds okay… I've just been feeling a little queasy all day. I don't know. I've got a bad feeling about something." Danny could hear her sigh on the other end of the line. "It's probably nothing. Anyway, get over here quick. I miss you. I've got to get back to work. Find me when you get here."

Danny smiled as he put the key into the ignition and started the car. She was sounding like herself again. "You got it, babe. I'll be there in thirty. Later."

He snapped his phone shut and put in the tray on his center console. He pulled out into the street and headed in the direction of Lindsay's favorite deli. 

* * *

Danny walked out to the alley where his car was parked with a scowl on his face. He'd taken a lot longer in the deli than he'd been planning on. When he walked in, there'd been at least twenty people on line in front of him. He'd been tempted to turn around and try someplace else but then he thought of the look he'd see on Lindsay's face when she'd open the bag and decided he could wait.

He finally got to the front of the line. There was only one person in front of him. And the guy had an order large enough to feed a small army. It had taken fifteen minutes for that guy alone. When he finally got to get the food and leave, it was already more than an hour after he'd spoken to Lindsay. He had wanted to send her a message to let her know he'd be a little later than he'd expected but he had left his cell phone in the car. Things weren't going his way and he was annoyed.

He got into the car and leaned over to put the food on the passenger seat. As he was straightening he saw movement in the backseat. He quickly reached for his gun in his jacket.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Detective," the man in the backseat said. Danny turned around and saw he already had his gun out and pointed at his head. "Now you listen and listen good. If you do what I say, maybe you'll get out of this car alive."

* * *

A/N: I know, I know... Who's Mickey?! And who is this new guy, right? With time, everything will be revealed... This chap was a little longer so hopefully it'll satisfy your curiosity for a bit... Of course now, it's raised a host of new questions but... such is life, yes?

* * *

ImaSupernaturalCSI: I agree! No one messes with Danny Messer and gets away with it!!! Soon, dear, very soon Mickey will get his what fors. 

chilli-peppers: Thanks! Glad you're liking it...

Skylar87: Right... I don't think I'd have the heart to put him in a coma... At least for now. ;)


	4. Who are you?

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me in any way, shape, or form...

* * *

Lindsay glanced up at the clock in the office she shared with Danny. It had been two hours already since she'd spoken to him and she was starting to get worried. He would have let her know if he'd gotten held up. As she snatched up the phone to call him, she heard a commotion in the hall. Lindsay hung up the phone and headed to the door of the office. 

She reached out and stopped Hawkes who was headed past her. "Sheldon, what's going on?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. But there was some kind of explosion or something. I'm heading out to the scene with Flack."

Lindsay nodded. "Okay. I'm just about done wrapping our case from this morning so let me know if you guys need anything."

Sheldon nodded back at her. "Will do… See you, Linds."

Lindsay went back into her office and proceeded to call Danny's phone. It went straight to voicemail. She left him a quick message and hung up.

She shrugged and turned back to her paperwork, trying to ignore the really bad feeling she had in her gut.

* * *

Hawkes followed Flack into the alley to the charred remains of the vehicle. The uniforms that had responded first to the scene confirmed that there was what looked like human remains in the car. They sealed the alley off with two patrol cars. No one had been near the car since they checked for any possible survivors. Hawkes hoped that they'd be able to find evidence to find the person that did this. The scene before him was brutal. There was debris everywhere. It was going to be a big cleanup job. He thought about Lindsay back in the lab. They were going to need all the help they could get. 

"Awright, Whaddaya got, Jones?" Flack demanded as they neared the car.

The officer cleared his throat. "Not much. Damage to the car is too extensive to tell the make or model. The DB inside is a mess. All burnt up. Don't know if they're gonna be able to ID him… But the scene's been secure since we rolled. If there's anything to find, it's here. Hasn't been compromised."

Flack nodded. "Gotcha. Okay, doc. Whaddaya say you get started on processin'? Imma scope out the area. See if we've got any witnesses."

Hawkes nodded. "Okay… I'm thinking I should call Mac and see if we can't get a few more hands on deck. It's gonna be a while."

Flack nodded as he made his way over to the corner where a crowd of onlookers had gathered. "Ey! Anybody see anything?" he shouted over the noise the crowd was making.

Hawkes chuckled quietly to himself. He didn't envy Flack his job.

He turned to the car and breathed deeply. Bringing his camera to his eye, he began snapping photos.

* * *

Mac was in his office having lunch with Peyton when his desk phone started ringing. He snatched it up and held it to his ear. "Taylor." 

He listened for a moment and Peyton frowned as his face paled. "Are you sure, Hawkes? It's definitely department issue?"

He stood up abruptly. "You're positive it's not a mistake?" he sighed deeply. "All right. I'm on my way."

He hung up and Peyton looked at him with a question in her eyes. "Mac? What is it? What's happened?" she asked worriedly.

Mac ran a hand across his face. "The car bomb downtown… Hawkes says the car is department issue. One of our own got blown up today, Peyton."

* * *

Word had already spread by the time they got to the scene. Faces were grim and the officers were quiet. Mac made his way to where Hawkes was standing talking to Flack. 

"What do we know?" he asked quietly.

Flack spoke first. "Nobody knows anything. They heard a loud noise but no one saw anything, Mac. The alley was pretty much deserted until somebody walking by saw the damage and called it in. Dispatch is checking in with everyone while we try to figure out who this is…" his voice trailed off as he spotted something on the ground. He made his way over to it and bent down peering closely at it.

Mac saw Flack's eyes widen as he stared at whatever he'd found. He reached out to pick it up and turned to Mac. Flack's hand shook as he handed it to the older detective. "Mac," he whispered, his voice breaking. "It's Danny."

* * *

A/N: Did you know that that's where I was going with this one? Don't hate me! I'll have you know that I am just as in love with the man that is Danny Messer as the next gal!

* * *

Thanks so much to my reviewers! You guys are awesome!!

Skylar87: Thanks a bunch! You're right about Danny, though... He can't seem to catch a break. What is it about our lovable bad boy that keeps attracting the bad guys?

ImaSupernaturalCSI: I love a good cliffy myself... We're just gonna have to see where this one goes... One thing's for sure, Mrs. Messer's gonna be pissed!

Trixy2: Thanks so much for reviewing... I'm glad you like it. keep reading and let me know how the rest of it suits your fancy:)

chili-peppers:"When it rains it pours." Doesn't it seem like someone was thinking about Danny when they said that? For this story anyway... Thanks for reviewing!

xbexyboox: Thanks for your review! Glad you like it so far.. Hope this chap lived up to your expectations...

serenity2bliss: It is a bit annoying isn't it? But if anything, it makes for a good story, I say! Don't worry they'll get theirs.


	5. Darkness

Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to all those lucky folks behind the scenes. (I am SO jealous!)

* * *

Lindsay paced the small office nervously trying very hard not to burst into tears. She was sure now that something was wrong. She didn't know what but she knew that Danny should have come and gone already. It didn't make any sense. He wouldn't do this to her; not call when he knew she was expecting him. And she'd already phoned him ten times and left a bunch of messages. 

She ran a nervous hand through her hair and sighed. _Now what?_ She had no idea what to do. Suddenly her phone beeped and she jumped. She snatched it up quickly hoping with all her might that it was a message from her husband.

Her face fell when she saw that it was Mac. Her heart plunged into her stomach when she read the message. It was a 911 page. Lindsay got up from the couch and left her office running toward Mac's.

It was about Danny. She knew it was. And she also knew that this was not going to be good news.

Her breath hitched when she walked into the office. When she walked in, she saw Flack sitting in front of Mac's desk dejectedly. He looked horrible. Lindsay forced herself to breathe and looked into her boss's face. "What?" she whispered, not sure she could really trust her voice at the moment.

"Lindsay, have a seat," Mac said quietly. He pulled out a chair for her.

Lindsay shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. "No. Mac, just tell me! I know something's wrong with Danny... Please, just say it. I can't take this anymore. What _is_ it? What happened?"

Mac rubbed his hand over his face and sighed. He closed his eyes briefly and sighed again. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft. "Lindsay, the scene from earlier," he paused.

"The explosion, you mean?" she interrupted, trying to figure out where he was going with this.

Mac nodded. "Hawkes discovered that the car was department issue. The vic was someone in the department."

Flack joined in then. "Linds, we found this in the wreckage." He held something out to her. It was in an evidence bag. Lindsay's hand shook as she took it from him.

"No..." She recognized it at once. It was a dogtag. She had been with him when he got it. It was engraved with the words _Property of Montana. _

"Danny's gone, Linds," Flack whispered.

Lindsay looked up at Flack. "Don, I --" The room spun. The world tilted and suddenly all she saw was darkness. 

* * *

Mac watched as Lindsay's knees buckled and her body headed to the floor. Flack caught her before she fell and Mac moved to help him lay her on the couch. Mac rushed to his bathroom and wet a cloth with cold water. Handing it to Flack, he stood by and waited.

"Linds... Wake up, Lindsay," He dabbed her face with the cloth. "Lindsay!" She didn't move. Flack turned to Mac and shrugged. "What do we do?"

Mac left the room and came back with a box of smelling salts. He held the box beneath Lindsay's nose. Suddenly she gasped and her eyes fluttered open. "You fainted," Flack said in answer to the question in her eyes. She took a few deep breaths and moved to sit up. She looked down in her hand and saw the dog tag still clutched firmly in her fingers. She looked hopelessly at Don.

Flack swallowed and nodded. "He's gone, Linds. I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around his friend's wife.

Her body shook with her sobs. "Why is --... Don, I don't... This doesn't make a-- any sense! Ho--- How? Who di--- did this? Why Da-- Danny?"

"We don't know yet, Lindsay," Mac interjected. "But we're going to find out."

"I jus--- I don--... don't understand. How is this even poss-- possible? Danny! This... this is all just a... It has to... to be a mistake right?" She pulled away from Flack and looked him in the eyes. "Don? It can't be right! Danny can't be... He can't be de-- dead!" Suddenly Lindsay jumped up and ran into Mac's bathroom, slamming the door shut on her way. Moments later they heard her throwing up. When it was over, they could hear her sobbing brokenly through the door. "Danny... Danny, I need you... Come back... Danny."

Mac went to the door and knocked. "Lindsay..." She didn't answer. He tried the door but it was locked.

He turned to Flack. "I don't know what we should do."

Flack sighed. "We can't just leave her in there, Mac. We have to do something."

Flack went to the bathroom door and knocked. "Linds..."

* * *

A/N: I know... I know... This chap was a sad one (I teared up a little bit)... And a short one too... But don't give up on me yet! A

* * *

Skylar87: She is pretty shaken up... I was too. I swear I don't even know how it happened! But we'll see where things go... 

montana78: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far... And you're right, she needs him like the air we breathe.

gracie89: Glad you like it! And don't worry, I've got more in my bag of tricks for this story! ;)

chili-peppers: Thanks so much, glad you're liking it!

ImaSupernaturalCSI: Ever hear something in your head and just _have_ to get it down that way on paper?? That's what happened there. I love it!

CrAzyChIc22: Hmm... I don't know. Things aren't looking good, eh? Thanks for reviewing!

daytimedrama: That seems to be the consensus here... Are you all trying to tell me something?

CSIhannah: You might be on to something there... I know my life is boring without him! ;)

serenity2bliss: (shrugs innocently)

* * *

Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed! See you next time...  



	6. Serious

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me... Not even a little bit :(

* * *

A/N: I know, I know... You guys got used to me updating every day right? Well sorry, I had finals... This was hell week... But to make up for it, I will post two chapters today instead of just one. :)

* * *

_Three hours earlier..._

_"If you do what I say, maybe you'll get out of this car alive."_

Danny sighed. This was the last thing he needed. "Alright, man. Just take it easy... Whaddaya want?"

"I want you to listen to me, Detective Messer. And listen good. Right now, I am your only shot of staying alive," the stranger told him.

Danny turned around to face him. "I'm sorry... What?"

"Someone wants you dead."

Danny interrupted him before he could go on. "From where I'm sittin', it looks like that someone is you," he muttered.

The man shrugged. "I've noticed that people will listen more carefully if they think they are imminent danger. Now if you'll just calm down, I'll tell you what's going on." He opened the door of the car and stepped out. With the gun still trained on Danny he said, "Let's go."

Danny rolled his eyes and opened the car door. "Where're we goin'? Can you just tell me what's goin' on man? I don't like mind games much."

The gunman shoved Danny into a van he had waiting a few feet away from his car. There were two other men in the van waiting for them. One was in the driver's seat and the other in the passenger seat. They didn't say anything to Danny when he got in the back. The first man sat in the back next to Danny and held up a badge and ID in one hand and held out his other hand for Danny to shake. "I'm Special Agent Brian Denning. I'm going to save your life."

"The feds? You've gotta be kiddin' me!"

* * *

They were in a warehouse. Danny wasn't sure where. He knew they'd driven for about an hour from the alley. After they'd arrived, Agent Denning finally explained to him what was going on. 

"I've been undercover for about eighteen months. I've infiltrated the network of one Mikhail Petróv. He's got his fingers in just about every cookie jar in the crime circuit. We've been trying to build a case against him for years now. I can't give you too much information but the fact of the matter is we're getting close. He knows it too. You may be a potential witness in the trial."

Danny scoffed. "Well then, it looks like someone messed up. Cause I don't know no Mikhail Petróv. So if it's all the same to you, I'll be going now." He turned away and started to head for the door.

"He's Mickey," Denning said sharply.

Danny stopped cold and turned back to Denning. "What?"

"Mikhail Petróv is Mickey. He's the one that had his goons tune you up last year. He's got his eye on you, Messer. You did something to piss him off and he's trying to take you out. That's where I come in. Last week he gave me a job. I'm supposed to blow you up."

Danny groaned. "Man, I don't even know who this guy is! What did I do to get him so ticked?" He ran his hand through his hair agitatedly. He glanced at his watch and sighed."Look, I was supposed to meet up with my wife over an hour ago. She's prob'ly worried sick by now. I left my phone in the car. Can I borrow one to give her a call?"

That was when Denning told him what he had in mind.

"Look Messer, the reason I brought you here is because Petróv wants you dead. And he wants me to be the one to do it. Petróv is not the type of guy you wanna mess with. If he wants you dead, you have to be dead." Denning met Danny's eyes with his own.

Danny's throat went dry as the implications of what Denning was saying began to sink in. "So, uh... what are you saying, man?" he asked softly.

"We're going to have to fake your death."_  
_

* * *

A/N: That's right!!! You guys guessed it! I could never _really_ kill Danny! You guys are good! I've had this story written up to around chapter 10 since before I began posting it (needs some editing but it is written) but if I hadn't you uys would have been giving me some great ideas... Anyhow, hope you're enjoying it... 

P.S. _There!_ Now you know who Mickey is... But Danny isn't so sure... What could he have done to make him so mad??

* * *

And now, to all my reviewers... 

Wow! You guys, I wasn't expecting such an awesome response to such a sad chapter! You all have made my day and then some:)

Ninde Ancalime, montana78, messermonroe, lovestoact, ImaSupernaturalCSI, samtdog, Susan: You're right... It's a plot, a scam, a sham... whatever you wanna call it. I couldn't do it. A world without Danny Messer is a sad sad world... But now the question is : Who is it that they found? And why did he have to fake his death?? We'll see...

skylar87: It really is the honeymoon from hell! And as for the other thing, I don't know -well i do know but can't say right now :) You'll just have to wait and see!

lyss02: Thanks for R&Ring! I am so glad you like it... More to come soon!

chilli-peppers: It _was _sad... My heart was breaking for Lindsay there. But there is hope!

Michaela Martin: I know, I know! I'm asking myself how much more poor Linds can take...

Tiantian Wang: thanks so much! I'm glad you're liking it... And no worries, all will be brought to light in the near future...

xbexyboox & serenity2bliss: Ya know, I had to go back & read this chap to see the F/L... I hadn't even realized! Idk... I am a die hard DL chic and I'm not sure (since Danny's not actually dead) that I'm going to pursue that angle... But we'll see, eh?

MesserMontana4ever: Popcorn isn't meant to be soggy... But I think in this case, we'll have to make an exception. Don't you?!

To all you folks who got teary eyed: I did too!!!!! But I think sometimes you need a good cry... Keeps you human, no?

And to all you lovelies who commented about the dog tag: Kinda "tough guy meets loverboy" action going on there. Linds brings out another side to Danny and I was trying to get that across there.

Thanks to all you great folks for R&Ring! I am glad you guys like it so far... You are all wonderful:)


	7. Too much

Disclaimer: Just a broke college student. I own nothing, least of all CSI:NY!

* * *

Lindsay's eyes opened slowly. She looked around. She was in her and Danny's bed in their apartment. Taking a deep breath, she could smell breakfast. A wave of relief flooded her. _It wasn't real, _she told herself._ It was just some crazy horrible dream. Everything is okay._ Jumping out of bed, she made her way to the kitchen. The smile on her lips died when she saw Flack in her kitchen cooking, not Danny. 

Her head started spinning. "Nnooo..." she whispered as her eyes filled with tears for what seemed like the millionth time.

Flack looked up at her. Quietly, he led her to the table to sit down. He gave her a sad smile as she explained. "I woke up this morning and thought yesterday had been a dream." She sniffled loudly. "I thought he was okay. I thought he was here... My brain just can't wrap around this. It's so unreal," the words came out in a tortured whisper.

"I know, Linds. I know what you mean." They sat there at the kitchen table for a few moments in silence.

Looking around, she spotted a blanket on the couch. She looked up at Don. His eyes were red rimmed and his face was splotchy. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. "Thank you, Don... For being here. I know you're hurting too."

"I'm not going anywhere... Danny's... he was... He was my best friend, Linds. You meant the world to him. He loved you more than anything." He caught her eye. "You're going to survive this. We both are. We'll get through it together."

* * *

"No! Absolutely _not_! I'm not doin' it," Danny shouted at Agent Denning. "You better figure something else out, Denning. Cause there's no way!" Danny glared at the man angrily.

"In case I gave you the impression that you had a choice in the matter, I'm sorry about that, Detective. You don't. Things have already been set in motion. As far as Mikhail Petróv and the rest of the world are concerned, Detective Danny Messer is dead."

Danny felt as if he was in physical pain. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. "Denning... Are you trying to tell me that my friends, my family… my _wife_ thinks I'm dead?" He opened his eyes again and stared at the man before him, his heart pounding as he waited for an answer.

The agent nodded. "I'm sorry. It's the only way. It's only temporary. You'll be able to go back to your life when all of this is over."

Danny saw red. He didn't think. As if his mind and body were not connected, he suddenly found himself lunging at Agent Denning and punching him in the face. The other two agents that had ridden in the van with them came forward and pulled Danny away from the agent who was now sporting a bloody nose. He fought them in a vain attempt to attack Denning again.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are?" The words burst out of him. He finally stopped struggling with the two men holding him and just glared at Denning. He was breathing heavily.

Denning wiped at the blood dripping from his nose and motioned to the other agents to let Danny go. He shrugged out of their hold and walked across the room trying to calm his rage.

"Look, I understand you're upset." Denning began.

Danny snorted. That was the understatement of the century.

Denning started again. "I understand that you're angry. I don't like this any more than you do. But you have to know that this is the only way. Faking your death serves two purposes… First of all, you won't be killed. And secondly, it shows Petróv that I'm loyal and he won't kill me, hire someone else to kill you and get away with everything else he's done. It's for the greater good, Messer. We're on the same side here."

Danny glared at him from across the room and pointed an angry finger in his direction. When he spoke his voice was low. "_Don't!_ Don't you dare tell me that we're on the same side! I don't wanna hear it!" He sighed as he closed his eyes and threw his head back. He brought both his hands to the top of his head and ran them through his hair agitatedly. He voice was soft. "What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? I don't know what to do…"

* * *

A/N: This Denning guy doesn't know who he's dealing with here!

* * *

To my reviewers: 

Skylar87: Ah hah... surprised you did I? Very good, very good... Like to keep folks guessing.

ImaSupernaturalCSI: Hmm... What did Danny do to Mickey? The thing is, he doesn't even know... No worries, all will be revealed in due time.

Tiantian Wang: Tis quite true... The ptb don't seem to know a good thing when they see it. If they did, I wouldn't be going through DL withdrawal... As for Lindsay's pain, I don't know. We'll see ;)

Madison Bellows: I like a good suspenseful romance myself... Never tried a hand at writing one before but this is fun! Thanks for R&Ring!

chili-peppers: Of course I could never kill Danny! He makes the world go round. :)

Ninde Ancalime: I do love a good conspiracy as well... I'm looking forward to the grand reunion too!

Susan: Doesn't it suck? She's going through all this heartache and pain unnecessarily. :(

montana78: The questions of the hour... All will be brought to light soon. ps... I am very glad to hear you're hooked :)

MesserMontana4ever: Maia, dear, I've got my eye on you... ;) 

* * *

Thanks to everyone who R&Red... I know I'd promised a double helping and then forgot to deliver so I'm doin it now... Promise!  



	8. Acceptance

Disclaimer: I love them but they're not mine...

* * *

Flack looked up at Lindsay worriedly as she stepped out of the bathroom. "You okay?" he asked her softly. He fidgeted quietly by the door to her apartment. 

Lindsay nodded. "Yeah, fine… Well as fine as I can be right now," she muttered under her breath. She grabbed her keys and headed to the door. "Come on. Let's get going."

Flack grabbed his jacket off of the coat rack and stepped out into the hallway with her. He stood by silently as she locked the door. He scratched the back of his neck and then spoke. "Lindsay, maybe you should---"

She cut him off. "It's fine, Flack. Let's just go." She paused and lowered her head, ashamed that she'd snapped at him. He was just concerned for her. An apology in her eyes, she put a hand on his arm. "I'm okay, Don. Stop worrying. Come on."

Flack nodded. "Okay… Sorry."

They walked to his car in silence. As he drove, she stared out the window thinking. After a while, she spoke up. "So after you drop me off, you're going to find out where they're at, yes?" she asked the question without looking at Don.

Flack glanced over at her and quickly turned back to the road. "Yeah, Linds. And I'm going to remind them of the incident from last year… Just like we talked about before."

She nodded and sighed softly. "Okay… And you're gonna tell me later what they've found, right?" Now Lindsay turned to look at the man who'd been her husband's best friend. "Even if you think it'd be better off if I didn't know? You won't try and protect me from the truth right, Don? You'll remember what we talked about, right?" she asked him worriedly.

They stopped at a red light and Flack turned to look her in the eye. "Yes. Lindsay. I promised you, remember? I'm going to tell you everything… even if I feel like it'd be better if you didn't know. I won't try to keep anything from you for your own good. You'll know whatever I know." The light changed and he turned back to the road and continued driving.

"Thanks, Don," Lindsay whispered. Then she turned back to the window.

They arrived at their destination and Flack pulled into a parking spot and turned to Lindsay. "Well, we're here," he said.

Lindsay reached up and grasped the door handle. She paused and looked up at the house quietly. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and stepped out of the car.

Don joined Lindsay on the sidewalk, took her arm and led her up the front stairs. "You can do this," he whispered to her.

As Lindsay was raising her hand to knock on the door, it opened. She looked into the red rimmed eyes of the woman before her and her eyes flooded.

"Lindsay," she whispered and opened her arms to her. Lindsay stepped forward and fell into the arms of Danny's mother.

* * *

Danny paced the floor of the warehouse quietly. When he stopped, he turned to Denning. "I can't do it, Denning. I can't let Lindsay believe I'm dead. My family, my friends… I can't knowingly put them through something like this unnecessarily. The other man just looked at him blankly. Danny groaned. "You can't ask me to do this!" 

Denning gave him a small smile. "I'm not asking." He walked over to where Danny was standing. "Look, I know this is not what you want. But if you don't do this, you may be endangering your family and friends as well. If I _had_ been a killer, you'd be dead right now.

"Now think about this, what if Lindsay had been in the car with you? Or what if she'd borrowed your car? And you don't know Mickey but I can tell you right now that he is not above using someone you love to get to you. Do you want him to find out you're alive and go after Lindsay in an effort to get at you? You have no idea what he's capable of doing to her!"

Danny inhaled sharply as a heavy weight settled in his gut. He closed his eyes briefly. "Okay… I get it. But what if I just warn her? I could tell her that I have to go away for a little while and she would just have to keep it quiet… She's a cop. She --- She'd understand."

Denning looked at him and shook his head silently. "You know like I know that that is just too risky… If you're dead, you're dead… Period! No one can know about this. Not Lindsay, not anyone!"

"She's my _wife_, Denning! I can't just abandon her!" Danny's voice rose angrily.

Denning stepped into Danny's personal space. "Then let me save your life! What's worse, Messer? A few weeks, maybe a couple months thinking you're dead or the rest of her life with you really six feet under? Think about it… Then, get back to me." He turned and headed toward the door without another word.

"Wait." Danny stopped him. "Alright, Denning. You win. I'll do it." Inwardly he sighed. _She's going to hate me for this, but I'll do it.  
_

* * *


	9. Working it out

Disclaimer: I don't own anything... except for the lovely Agent Denning...

* * *

"Alright, how exactly is this going to work?" Danny asked after they'd established that he was really going to be faking his death. 

"You don't have to do anything at this point. We had a team set up and ready to go ever since I approached you in the car. They set the bomb in your car, under the driver's seat. After exploding, the fire will burn hot and long enough to disfigure the corpse we put in there so that it isn't easily identifiable." At Danny's look, he said, "Well, we have to have a body! We couldn't just blow up a car and call it a day… Don't worry. I didn't kill anyone. This guy was already dead.

"Your phone stayed in the car. That's a good thing. They'll find it and eventually it'll lead them to you. I also slipped the chain you were wearing before off your neck while we were on our way to the van." Danny's hand instinctively went up to his neck where the chain to the dogtag should've been. He groaned inwardly. _How did I not notice him taking that off?_ he wondered to himself. _You were too busy trying not to get shot. _

His head snapped up as Denning continued talking. "They'll find that in the debris too. I figured you wouldn't take too kindly to my taking your wedding ring and putting it on our corpse's fing--," Danny's glare stopped him from finishing that statement. "Okay, yeah… So, this operation isn't as long term as most so we're not going to be creating a new identity for you. Rather, we'll have you all set up in one of our safe houses… Don't ask me where cause I'm not telling."

Danny's mouth snapped shut as that was the very question on the tip of his tongue.

Denning took a long look at Danny and said, "Get used to something, Messer. The less anybody knows about what we're doing here, the better. And that includes you. However unintentional, you could screw up everything very easily.

"So, as I was saying, we'll have you in one of our safe houses until we've got him. In addition to your being in a safe _undisclosed_ location, we'll have round the clock security. I'm going to be straight with you. There's not much you're going to be able to do there. No computer, no phones... no communication with the outside world, basically. If we feel that you've been compromised, even in the slightest, we'll move to a new location... I'll be by to check in every so often but other than the other agents assigned to your security, you'll pretty much be on your own. Think you can handle that?"

Danny rolled his eyes, "Not like I have much of a choice."

Denning tilted his head slightly and said, "You're right. But still, you better be ready to be bored out of your mind. Cause it's gonna be a while before you can get back to your life."

Danny looked away from Denning and in a low voice asked, "What about Lindsay?"

Denning shrugged. "What about her?"

Danny turned around to look the agent in the face. "Will you and your fed buddies be keeping an eye on her too? What if your boy Mickey decides killing me ain't enough? What if he decides to go after her?"

"Look, Messer, I know this situation is not ideal, but I swear to you that I will be doing everything in my power to keep you and your family safe. I'll have someone keeping an eye on your wife. And I'll try to get you updates from time to time on how she's doing. Deal?"

Danny nodded and ran his hand through his hair again. "So, Denning, when are you planning on telling me what I did to make this Mickey dude mad enough to want me dead?" he asked. 

* * *

A/N: That is the question of the hour, no? 

Thanks to all who read & reviewed! Please continue to do so! -A- :o) 

* * *

messermonroe & Madison Bellows: I'll let Flack know that you guys are planning to lay the smack down if he tries any funny business! And thanks Mads for the good luck wishes... I am **SO** glad it's all over now :o)

Skylar87: Wasn't it Linds who reminded us all early in the story that absence makes the heart grow fonder?

5t4c3y: Thanks for R&Ring! glad you're enjoying it.

Kelly: Thanks so much! I am glad you like it...

netta: Thanks for R&Ring... I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far... Can't give everything away though... Soon, all will be revealed. :o)

Susan: I'm a big fan of happy endings myself. Don't mind a bit (or a lot) of angst as long as things work out in the end.

Marian MacKenzie: Hey! I'm glad you're enjoying it... As for the other thing, I'll see what I can do. ;)

ImaSupernaturalCSI: Thanks so much!!! I try my best to please my constituency... as for Denning... I think he's one of those guys you love to hate. On the one hand, he's looking out for Danny (which right there are like a zillion points in his favor) but on the other, he's making Danny pretty miserable (i think there has to be a deduction for that)... and yes! the togetherness I think is grand. You said it exactly right. Not _**together**_ but together... Splendid!

Michaela Martin: that's right... Not only is she Lindsay... but she's a Messer now and everybody knows you don't mess with a Messer! (Which doesn't bode too well for Mickey later on, does it?)

chili-peppers: Thanks!! I thought it was necessary for her to have some1 having her back til Danny gets back...

MesserMontana4ever: 2 reviews, Thanks Maia!!! And I know, I know you'd never _really _do anything... Cuz then who'd update the story?! ;o) Keep R&Ring!

Alrighty, dears... See you next time! -A-


	10. No Kidding

Disclaimer: None of the familiar folks are mine... So far I can only stake a claim to the lovely Agent Denning... Maybe more later! ;)

* * *

Lindsay glared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She was annoyed. "Okay, Linds. Snap out of it. There is no time to be sick right now." She was in the bathroom at the lab, where she'd spent the last few minutes with her head hung over the porcelain throne. She splashed some water on her face and then dried it with a paper towel. 

It had been almost three weeks since that fateful day. The day her heart broke. The day her life seemingly ended. She hadn't been to the lab since then. She still wasn't ready to be there. Everywhere she looked, she saw him. _Maybe that's why I'm feeling so sick today._ She dismissed the thought almost as soon as it entered her mind. _Who are you kidding, Lindsay?_ She sucked her teeth at her reflection and turned to leave the bathroom.

"Lindsay! Are you feeling okay?" Stella asked the younger CSI as she stepped out of the bathroom and started to make her way down the hall.

"Hey, Stel... Yeah, I'm fine," she replied softly.

Stella looked into her face and said, "Are you sure, hon? You're really pale and I thought I heard someone throwing up when I walked past a few minutes ago... Was that you?"

Lindsay sighed and nodded. She followed Stella into the break room and they sat down on the couch. "What's going on with you, Linds?"

Lindsay shrugged. "I don't know. I've been feeling sick since Danny..." She inhaled deeply and sighed. "I figure it's gotta be the stress. But, I don't know."

Stella took her hand and said, "Have you thought about seeing a doctor? I mean, you never know. It could be more than the stress."

Lindsay shook her head. "No... I don't know... I guess I just don't want for anything else to be going on right now. Just forget about it, Stel. I'm sure I'll be fine."

She took a deep breath and then stood. "Anyway, that's not why I came down here today." She paused, fiddling with her fingers a little bit. "I wanted to know... Have you guys gotten anywhere? Have you found anything new?"

Stella took her elbow and led her out of the break room. "Well, you already knew that we found fragments of his cell phone and were able to retrieve his SIM card. Unfortunately, there was nothing on it that could help.

"Hawkes and I were finally able to finish reconstructing the bomb... There's nothing all that distinctive about it. The trigger was a prepaid disposable cell phone. Other than that, we haven't found a signature. The components are just your regular, run of the mill stuff. So far, we haven't been able to trace any of it back to any one person. The only call that was registered on the SIM came from another disposable cell. We're kinda stuck here, Linds... I'm sorry. We're not giving up though." Stella was quick to reassure her.

Lindsay took a deep breath and nodded. "I know you guys are trying, Stella. It's just been so long now, I'm starting to wonder if there's anything else to find." She rubbed her hand over her face. "Um… I need to go see Mac… Don't worry about it Stel, if there's something to find, you guys will. I'm sure of it."

She turned away and hurried down the hall toward Mac's office. Halfway there, she ducked into an empty room and leaned against the closed door. It was then that she finally let the sobs come. She felt like she was giving up on finding out who had taken Danny from her. Her breath came in short gasps as she tried to get herself under control. She knew the way things were. As frustrating as it was, sometimes the evidence just didn't cooperate. She'd meant what she had said to Stella. She knew that if there was anything there, they'd find it. There was no other team she'd trust with this case.

But still, she needed to know. She needed to know why Danny was gone. Nothing was making any sense to her anymore. Her life was empty without him and not having an explanation for it all, not understanding why, hurt almost as much as not having him.

Finally stopping the flow of tears down her face, Lindsay sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. Hoping she looked presentable, she turned and headed to Mac's office.

About half an hour after she walked into her boss's office, Lindsay stood and accepted a brief hug from Mac. "You're going to be okay, Lindsay. Don't worry about your job. When you're ready to come back, you'll know. And your job will be waiting for you. I'll put in the paperwork for your leave as soon as possible, okay?"

Lindsay nodded and gave Mac a small smile. "Thanks, Mac. I'll see you." She turned to leave the office and took a deep breath. Pushing open the door, she stepped out into the hall and almost ran into Adam.

"Oh! Hi, Lindsay. How are you holding up? Are you back to work already?" he wanted to know.

Lindsay gave a small shake of her head. "Um, no. Actually, I'm going to be taking some time off. I just filed paperwork for a temporary leave of absence." She paused then continued. "I just don't think I can take being here right now. Today kinda proved that to me." She sighed and shrugged noncommittally. "When the time is right, I'll come back." To herself, she added, _If that ever happens._

* * *

A/N: My dears I am sorry for the delay... I was busy preparing for and going through with my _graduation from college_!!! I'm really psyched, as you all can probably imagine :)

But now it is time to get back down to earth... and to real life... and the lovely world of Danny Messer & Lindsay Monroe...

PS Who else just totally_ died _for the DL in Snow Day?! I don't know how I'm supposed to wait until September for more!

_

* * *

_Thanks to all who read and reviewed! 

oddie33325: Thanks for reviewing! Glad you're enjoying it so far... In truth, I doubt I'd be able to handle that either ;) Keep reading! More to come soon!

skylar87: Thanks so much! As for the dead guy... Since he was blown up before being burnt up, things would have changed... So I'm gonna say they didn't check dental records cause it's probable that they wouldn't have matched anyway... Good point though! Thanks for R&Ring! You've been so faithful to this story... Really appreciate it :)

messermonroe: I think most of the folks reading this story are a bit protective of the DL ship... I certainly am! No worries... I couldn't do that to poor Danny.

Andy: Thanks! I'm really glad you're liking it... Don't worry, as I've said before, I'm a DL shipper all the way!

Susan: Thanks much! And I guess I'm an optimist that way too.

ImaSupernaturalCSI: Denning is kinda whatever about all this isn't he? I guess he's just used to the ways of the feds :-)

claudibelle: Thank you! More on its way!

chili-peppers: Thank you, thank you... I am enjoying Denning quite a bit myself... He's especially fun to write. :)

MesserMontana4ever: Thanks, Maia! And very soon, you and everyone else (including Danny) will know what the deal is... And so much more... I've got quite a few things left in my bag of tricks. :)

Madison Bellows: "Woot" is right! I can't believe it's really all over! thanks much! Hope this chap both satisfied your appetite and whetted it for more... :)

Marian MacKenzie: Lol... Like I said, Denning is one of those guys ya love to hate... But I'm having fun with him...

* * *


	11. Revelation

Disclaimer: I only own Denning... Although I would gladly accept Danny Messer wrapped up with a pretty bow. (special note: my birthday is in 2 months) hint, hint.:)

* * *

A week later, Lindsay sat in the living room of the apartment she and Danny had shared since their wedding seven months earlier. She sat silently crying into Danny's pillow.

She'd finally gone to see her physician and the news of her pregnancy was unexpected to say the least. Though she'd been sick to her stomach most days over the past month, the events of that morning were what had prompted her to schedule an appointment with her doctor.

After waking she had decided to take a drive to clear her head. She'd spent the few days since filing her leave of absence in her apartment and she was sick of looking at the same walls all day. She didn't care where she went as long as she could get out of there. Her decision made, she'd turned on the coffee maker and gone to take a shower.

She'd felt a little light headed and closed her eyes as everything spun. After a while she opened her eyes to find herself on the floor of the shower, the water still flowing out of the shower head. She'd fainted. Scared, Lindsay had turned off the water and gone to call and schedule an appointment for that morning.

When Dr. Val Thomas had walked into the room, she had expressed her concern on how much weight Lindsay had lost. "What are you doing, starving yourself?" she'd asked.

Lindsay had shrugged. "Haven't been able to keep much down for a while now. I'm sick at least once a day, usually more. I figured it was just stress but then this morning, I passed out in the shower and almost drowned." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Thought it might be a problem."

The doctor had given a wry chuckle. "I'll say." Then she snapped on a pair of gloves and began examining Lindsay. With her hands to her neck, she stated "Your glands aren't swollen… Any fever?" At Lindsay's shaking her head no, she said, "It doesn't look like an infection. I'll draw some blood and run tests. Anything else I should be aware of?"

Lindsay shrugged. "Like what?"

"When was your last period?" the doctor asked while writing something on Lindsay's chart.

After thinking for a few seconds Lindsay only said, "Ohmigod…"

The doctor had drawn the blood and the tests were done. It was official. She was pregnant. Upon hearing the news, Lindsay's eyes had filled with tears. Right there, in her doctor's office, Lindsay had sobbed brokenly. The doctor had given her a questioning look. Putting her arm around her shoulder, she'd said, "I take it, this isn't good news?"

Lindsay had looked up at her, dabbing at her eyes and nose with the tissues she handed her. "It's not that…" She and Danny had spoken about having kids. He wanted a baby and so did she. She had always dreamed of having kids since she was young. But more than anything, she'd wanted to give him a child.

"Should we be talking about other options?" the doctor had wanted to know.

Lindsay had gasped. "No! I want this baby! I couldn't give it up or anything… It's just, Danny---" she paused and took a deep breath. "He's gone. He was killed last month."

The doctor's eyes had widened and she said, "Lindsay, I'm so sorry! I had no idea. How are you holding up?"

Lindsay bit her lip and said, "Not too great… Just taking it one day at a time."

She had left the office armed with a prescription for prenatal vitamins & supplements and loads of information. After stopping by the pharmacy, she'd gone home and had been sitting in the living room since.

Suddenly, she sat up. _That's it, Linds. You have to get it together. You're going to need to be stronger than this if you plan on doing this. You have to be strong… For this baby… For Danny._

With a new resolve, she got up and went into the bathroom to wash her face. Looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she spoke firmly. "Wallowing isn't going to change anything. Starting now, you're taking charge."

* * *

Danny stared out of the window of the safe house sullenly. It was raining. Again. Since he'd gotten there weeks before, it had rained almost every day. He was tired of it. He was tired of a lot of things. He missed his Montana. He missed his job. He missed his friends. He missed his life.

Stepping away from the window, he made his way to the door. He'd just seen a car pull up the drive. Opening the door, he pointed an angry finger at Agent Denning. "Denning, you lied to me!" he spat as the other man made his way up the walkway.

Holding his hands up in front of him, the agent retorted, "Mind telling me about what?"

Danny stepped aside to let him in. "You told me you'd let me know how Lindsay's doin'. I haven't seen or heard from you in the six weeks that I been here!"

Denning shrugged. "Sorry about that. I haven't been able to get away much… You know, with me being undercover and all." He sat down wearily on the couch and closed his eyes.

Danny followed him and said, "So… Is she okay? How's she doin'?"

Denning sighed. "Yes. She's fine. She returned to work a couple of days ago."

Danny thought about it for a while. "She was out that long? Over a month?"

Denning opened one eye and regarded Danny quietly. Opening both eyes, he sat up and faced the detective. "Your wife loves you very much, Messer. Things have been difficult on her. She was out of work for the past six weeks. She's lost a lot of weight." He paused and took a deep breath. "But she looks to be doing a lot better now. And so far, Mickey hasn't made her a target. So she's safe." He leaned back in the chair again and waited.

Danny nodded and said only, "Thanks." Then he got up and left the room.

Got to his room, Danny slammed the door shut and leaned against it. He sighed. He was hating his situation more and more with each passing day. He was angry at himself for making Lindsay suffer. He was angry at Denning for making him fake his death but most of all, he was angry at Mickey for putting them all in the situation in the first place. He banged his head against the closed door a few times and ran an agitated hand through his hair. Angry again, he turned and opened the door fiercely. He walked toward the living room where Denning was still sitting.

"All right, Denning. I've had enough. You're goin' to tell me right now what beef your boy, Mickey's got wit me. If I've gotta go through this hell, least ya could do is tell me why."

* * *

A/N: It seems that lately all I can do is apologise for the delays in updating this story... Hope y'all will forgive me and keep R&Ring!

* * *

Madison Bellows: Ya think ya know what's up, do ya? I hope the story's living up to what you're expecting... Thanks much!

ImaSupernaturalCSI: So now you know why she was sick... some folks have already guessed. Thanks for reviewing! (I said the same thing when I saw Snow Day too.)

Baby Jefer: Thanks! Hope you like this one too.

chili-peppers: Yeah, it is a bit sad, isn't it? But she's back and she's determined to survive...

Mrs. Fitzgerald: And you were absolutely right! Good job!

messermonroe: In time, my dear...

Skylar87: Thank you, thank you, thank you... It was _extremely_ satisfying! It was one of the highlights of my entire life ;)  
Yay, yay, yay! You guessed it Sky! And as for Snow Day; I DID THE SAME THING!!! Recorded on the DVR and kept watching that part over and over and over... and over and over and over... Sigh! I could have died happy.

* * *

That's all for now, folks! I hope to update again soon... Please continue reviewing; it makes my world go round:)


	12. Answers

Disclaimer: I don't own them... I can only claim the lovely Agent Denning, and the mysterious Mickey Petrov... although, I'm not sure if that's necessarily a good thing. ;)

* * *

Stella's eyes flew open. For a minute she looked around the dark room, trying to figure out what had woken her. Then she heard it. Someone was knocking rapidly on her door. She got out of bed and went to the door. After checking through the peephole to see who was on the other side, Stella swung the door open to reveal a distraught Lindsay. 

"Linds? Sweetie, what's the matter?" She asked in concern as she guided the younger woman inside. She closed the door and turned back to her friend.

Lindsay had tears streaming down her face and she was shaking. "Stel," she choked out. "Someone's following me."

"What?" Stella asked incredulously. "Linds, are you sure? Do you have any idea why?"

Lindsay shook her head as Stella led her to the couch to sit down. "I _am_ sure. But I don't know who he is or what he wants. I noticed him a while back and I thought maybe I was seeing things or that I was going crazy or something. I thought it might have been my imagination. I've been really stressed out and everything so I just figured that's what this was. But then I saw him again today, Stel, near my apartment. I tried to brush it off, you know, figured he must live in the neighborhood and that's why I kept seeing him. But then he was tailing me after I left the lab. I was able to lose him but I couldn't go home 'cause he knows where I live and... Stella, I'm scared." The last words were said in a whisper.

Stella wrapped her arms around Lindsay and gave her a hug. "It's okay, kiddo. You did the right thing by coming here. What do you say we get you some tea and then into bed? Everything is going to be okay."

"Thanks, Stel," Lindsay whispered.

* * *

Lindsay woke the next morning to the now all too familiar nausea. Groaning she quickly made her way to the bathroom, hoping she wouldn't wake Stella. 

Seconds later, with her head bent over the toilet, she heard a knock on the door. Stella opened it slowly and stepped in. She knelt beside Lindsay and smoothed her hair back as she was sick. Finally when it was over, Lindsay rocked back on her heels and gratefully accepted the cup of water Stella was handing her. "Thanks," she whispered. When she was sure she could stand up again, she made her way to the sink and rinsed out her mouth with first the water and then some mouthwash and then more water, spitting it into the sink. After washing her face, she patted it dry with the towel Stella gave her and then silently followed her into the kitchen.

Stella didn't say anything as she prepared some tea for the both of them. She set a mug in front of Lindsay and sat down, looking at her expectantly.

Lindsay avoided her eyes and said only, "I'm fine, Stella." She looked up to see Stella's eyebrows shoot up disbelievingly. Still, the older woman didn't say anything.

"I'm pregnant."

Stella's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak but Lindsay cut her off. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I only just found out recently. I'm still trying to get it all together in my head and make sense of everything." She exhaled sharply and looked at Stella.

Stella reached over and covered Lindsay's hand with her own. "Are you happy, Linds?"

Lindsay felt a familiar stinging in her eyes but smiled. "Yeah, Stel. I'm happy… I don't know how I'm going to do this without him but I am happy. I want this baby. It's a part of Danny. It's a product of our love. I'm happy."

Stella patted Lindsay's hand affectionately. "Well, I'm happy for you, hon. And you know if you ever need anything, you need only ask. I'm here for you, Linds."

Lindsay smiled. "Thanks, Stel. I appreciate it." She glanced at the clock above the sink and winced. "Ooh. I'm so sorry I woke you so early! The nausea often gets me up earlier than I want."

Smiling, Stella just shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal. I'm an early riser anyway. So, have you told anyone yet? About the baby, I mean? Have you gotten checked out?" she was excited and the questions tumbled out of her easily. "You'll have to check with Mac in regards to the department's policy on maternity leave. And you _have_ to let me take you shopping! There's this awesome place I know of on--- Oh! Have you thought about godparents yet? Is the godmother the one that's supposed to arrange the shower? When are you supposed to ask the godparents Linds, this is so exciting!? Oh! Have you had an ultrasound yet? How far along are you anyway?" She finally paused and looked at Lindsay expectantly.

Lindsay's eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch like 80 percent of what you just said."

Stell a smiled sheepishly and said, "Sorry. I guess I did kinda go off on the deep end there… I'm just really excited for you… Wow, Lindsay. A baby. You're having a baby."

Lindsay chuckled wryly. "A real live baby. An entire little person who's going to depend on me for everything… A baby, Stel. A baby! This would have made Danny so happy." She shook her head and sighed. "I hope he or she has Danny's eyes," she murmured softly.

Stella smiled. "Your baby will be beautiful, Linds."

* * *

Danny threw himself into the chair across from the federal agent and waited. Albeit impatiently. 

Agent Denning sighed. "Alright, alright… But I'll have you know that a lot of this material is highly sensitive and classified. You breathe a word of this to anyone and you can blow months of undercover work. Not to mention I'd kick your a—"

Denning's mouth snapped shut as Danny interrupted him. "Whatever, man. Just get on with it."

"Okay… Like I told you, Petróv has dealings all over the place. One of those areas is with drugs. Last year, you had a case that involved a kid that had died as a result of an overdose. Garrett Moore."

Danny nodded, remembering. "Yeah, the kid was a mule and one o' the bags of coke he was transportin' busted inside him and he OD'd. 'Stead o' takin' him to a hospital, his top dogs cut him open to get the rest o' the coke and let the kid die… So? What's that gotta do with Petróv?"

Denning made an impatient gesture. "Well, let me get to that… You busted a Matt Harding. He was the dealer Moore was transporting for. Apparently, Moore owed him some money. Anyway, that's beside the point. The deal is, Harding is just another guy on Mickey's payroll. Petróv lost a lot of money when you busted Harding. The raid that went down as a result of your findings cost Petróv millions. He wasn't too happy about that.

"He lost his drugs, his money, and quite a few of his investors. He traced it all back to you and the evidence you found implicating Harding… Now, he sees you as a pest. A fly in the ointment of his operation. When he hired me, he wanted to test my loyalties. He figured he could see where I stand and get rid of "the pesky cop" all in one shot.

"You're supposed to testify in Harding's hearing coming up. If you do, they'll convict. Mickey knows this… In exchange for a lighter sentence, Harding is likely to agree to give up information about Mickey. Petróv knows this too. Getting you out of the way seemed like a good idea all around for him.

"So my "killing" you gets you off his radar and it validates my cover. Messer, this is all for the best. I know you hate this. Being here. Being away from your family and friends. But you know as well as I do that sometimes you have to make a sacrifice for the greater good."

Danny waved off his platitudes and said, "So how'd you prove to Petróv that I was really dead anyway?"

Denning sat back in his chair and smiled. "Very simple, really. All it took was a hidden camera and some help from the AV Tech. I brought him a video the day after."

"Now, come on." Denning patted Danny on the shoulder and turned to the TV. Picking up the remote, he said, "Enough of this unpleasant talk. Isn't there a game on or something?"

* * *

A/N: So? Like it? Love it? Gotta have it? (Tribute to Coldstone Creamery, the _**best**_ ice cream in the entire world!!!) But seriously, please tell me what you think! So now everyone knows why Mickey wants Danny dead... He's just a big spoiled brat, isn't he? And he's a punk too, sending Denning to do his dirty work... Lucky for Danny, though, eh? 

Susan: Happy Birthday!!! Wishing you all the best! And if you do get a certain Italian Staten Islander wrapped up in a pretty (or ugly) bow, I am **_so_** there! ;) Sharing is caring!

chili-peppers: Hope you liked it! And I'm getting a little antsy for an M&M reunion myself.

messermonroe: Well thanks! Let me know what you think about this one.

MesserMontana4ever: Maia, I think you're as much a romantic as I am...

daytimedrama: I can't tell you how or when the cat will be let out of the bag... But stay tuned!

skylar87: Yep! You were right... How'd you guess anyway? A little birdie tell you? Ah well, no matter. And we'll see what happens with our lovely Agent Denning...


	13. Ending it!

Disclaimer: They're not mine...I only own Denning and Mickey... for now, anyway.

* * *

Lindsay opened her eyes, waking for the second time that morning. She wasn't sure what had woken her. Looking around the room, she didn't see anything. She quietly got out of the bed and headed out of the spare bedroom in Stella's apartment. She followed the noises she was hearing to the kitchen and smiled. 

"Good morning, Don." She made her way over to him to give him a hug but stopped at the look on his face. He was angry. And by the looks of it, he was angry with her. Her breath caught in her throat. "What is it?"

Stella stepped forward and said, "I told him about what you said." Lindsay looked at her sharply. "Last night. What you said when you came over here last night," she amended quickly. "Um, I'm gonna go. Give you guys a minute to talk." She hurried out of the kitchen, giving Lindsay an apologetic look over her shoulder as she went.

Lindsay turned back to Don and studied his face quietly. She didn't speak. She just waited while he fumed. When he finally spoke, his face was livid.

"Why the _hell_ didn't you _say _somethin'?" he thundered.

Lindsay cowered back from his outburst, shocked. He'd never yelled at her before. In the weeks since Danny's death, they'd gotten to be good friends, drawn to each other by their shared grief. Lindsay knew that Don was more than a little bit overprotective of her.

"I wasn't sure… And then when I was, all I could think of was getting away," she snapped back at him. "I'm sorry I didn't ask your permission, _Dad_!" she spat sarcastically. She was annoyed that he was angry with her. As if she didn't have enough to deal with already.

Flack took a deep breath and balled his fists as if he wanted to hit something. "I don't understand you, Lindsay! You were sure enough, and _scared_ enough to come over here cryin' in the middle o' the night but you couldn't even call me t'let me know what was goin' on?

"Even when you weren't sure, even when all you had was a weird feelin', you shoulda come t'me!" Much like Danny, his accent got more pronounced as he got angry.

"I'm _sorry_, Don!" She was yelling now too. "I didn't want to bother you with something that could have been nothing!"

Flack took a couple of deep breaths and Lindsay could tell he was trying to get his temper under control. Finally, in a low voice, he said, "Doesn't matter, Linds… You know better'n anyone else that ya gotta trust yer instincts. I would rather 'waste my time' on somethin' that turns out t'be nothin' than t' have you get hurt when I coulda done somethin' t'stop it!" His voice rose again and he bellowed, "How the_ hell_ am I s'posed to protect you if ya don't tell me what's goin' on?"

And that was it. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Without missing a beat, Lindsay yelled back, "I'm not _asking_ you to! I don't _need_ protecting, Don! I'm not looking for a knight in shining armor! I am perfectly capable of protecting myself and my baby!"

Flack's eyes widened. "Baby?" He spoke in a whisper. "Lindsay, you're pregnant?" When she nodded, he sat down heavily in one of the chairs at Stella's kitchen table. "Did Danny know?" he asked quietly.

Lindsay shook her head in response. "I only found recently."

Flack looked up at her in realization. "That why you been so sick?"

Sighing, Lindsay sat across from Flack at the table and said, "Yeah. My morning sickness wasn't really paying much attention to the time of day. But that's neither here nor there." She sighed and placed a hand on top of his where it was resting on the table. "Don, I'm a grown woman. I'm a cop... Just like you. And soon, I'm going to be a mother... I'm so incredibly grateful to you. You've been there for me the last couple of months more than anyone. But you have your own life. You can't always be there. And I'm okay with that."

Flack ran an agitated hand over his face. "But Danny--"

Lindsay cut him off, "Couldn't always be here either... And he's gone now. You know and I know that if he could have helped it, he'd never have left but he's gone, Don. I have to come to terms with that fact. We all do."

For a beat, they were both quiet. Then Flack spoke. "Were ya goin' to tell me about it? Ever?"

Lindsay sighed. "Of course I would have come to you, Flack. I was going to call you today. Honestly, the only reason I didn't call you last night is because I was so shaken up. And I figured I was safe for the time being so it could wait. I'm not trying to shut you out. I swear."

Flack sighed again and they were both quiet for a long time. Then he looked at her with a small smile. "So," he said. "A baby, huh?"

Lindsay nodded, grinning. "Yeah. I still can't believe it. And I can't believe I didn't realize earlier... Danny would be so happy." She closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath.

Stella poked her head into the kitchen and asked, "Is it safe?"

Lindsay smiled and waved her friend into the room. "Yeah, I think Flack's decided to hold off on strangling me for the time being."

"Yeah, you better watch yourself, Monroe. And don't let it happen again." Flack delivered the warning with a finger pointed at her.

Lindsay chuckled and retorted, "_You_ had better watch _your_self, Junior! And for your information, the name's Messer."

* * *

Lindsay glanced over her shoulder and groaned. It was him. He was following her again. She was walking to the subway station from the lab. She had left work early to make her doctor's appointment. It had been a couple of weeks since she'd spotted him and she had thought it was over. Picking up her pace, she pulled out her phone to call Don. Then she snapped it shut again. 

_That's it. I'm ending this. Now!_

Lindsay ducked into an alley and waited, her hand at her side where her gun was holstered. When she spotted him coming after her, she stepped out with her gun drawn. Her stalker stopped short and raised his hands. "Alright. Who are you and why are you following me?" she demanded.

"My name is Frank Larsen. I'm a federal agent." His answer was clipped.

Lindsay scoffed and rolled her eyes. She kept her gun trained on him, her stance unwavering. "Why should I believe you? And why would a fed be following me?"

The man sighed. "If you reach into the left breastpocket of my jacket, you'll find my creds. I'm on the level."

Keeping her gun trained on him, she shook her head. "You reach in and get it. _Slowly! _If you try anything, I'll splatter your brains all over this alley."

Very slowly, Larsen reached into his pocket and withdrew his identification. Lindsay lowered her gun and scowled. "Fine. You're a fed. You've been following me for weeks now, haven't you? What do you want with me?"

"I am on a protective detail." Agent Larsen spoke while Lindsay reholstered her gun. She turned and began making her way out of the alley. The agent caught up with her and grasped her elbow gently.

She glared at him and snapped, "Who are you protecting?"

"You."

Lindsay wrapped her arms around herself and asked, "Why? Am I in danger?"

"Possibly. We don't think you are in any grave danger yet. But you may become a target in the future."

Lindsay groaned. She led the way into a nearby cafe. After they'd gotten themselves situated at a table, she turned to Larsen again. "And who exactly do you think wants to hurt me? Was there someone specific that you had in mind or are you talking generally. I _am _a cop, you know."

Agent Larsen looked her in the eye and said, "The man who had your husband killed."

* * *

A/N: Well! There you have it... So not a stalker after all... No matter. I've got plans for these folks. _**Please**_ let me know what you think! This story's so close to 100 reviews, I can almost taste it! ;)

* * *

messermonroe: Thanks a bunch! I do enjoy a sappy moment every now and again, don't you? 

Skylar87: Mickey just doesn't get it... Danny is swoon-worthy and _nobody _kills some1 who's swoon-worthy!

ImaSupernaturalCSI: Didn't I tell you? Everything in its time...I'm glad you liked that bit... I was smiling when I wrote it. I could just _see_ Danny saying that in my head.

astacia: There, You see? Good guy tail... Or is he?

Madison Bellows: Well, glad to hear it! My muse thanks you! ;)

chili-peppers: I think it's possible... Mickey's all kinds of no good... And with eyes like Danny's who can blame her? Danny's all kinds of hot! ;)

Susan: Aaw... well I'm putting him down on my wish list and if I don't get him, we'll just have to cross our fingers really hard and hope the powers that be will take pity on us for next year... Although, who says there has to be an occasion, right? ;) And yes! You were right. Just a dumb old agent. Lucky for Linds, eh? And Denning too cuz if he let anything happen to Linds, there'll be hell to pay when Danny finds out! (even if she's still hating him for the whole fake dying thing)


	14. Classified

Disclaimer: None of the familiar folks are mine... So far I can only stake a claim to the lovely Agent Denning, and our new friends... Maybe more later! ;)

* * *

Lindsay felt like she'd been dealt a blow that knocked the wind out of her. Gasping for air, she gripped the table, her knuckles white from the strain. "What?"

Larsen cleared his throat and spoke quietly. "The people I work for are concerned that the man who ordered the hit on Detective Messer might turn his attentions to you. It isn't probable but it is a possibility."

Lindsay glowered at him through eyes glazed over with unshed tears. "So you're telling me you know who killed Danny?" Her voice was deadly quiet. "The FBI knows who murdered my husband?"

Larsen gave her a small, sad smile. "Yes. We do."

Lindsay suddenly got up from the table and made her way outside onto the sidewalk. She was shaking with fury. Her fists were balled at her sides.

A waitress was just making her way to their table to take their order when Larsen jumped up and followed Lindsay. He walked over to where she was seething quietly. Suddenly she turned on him and pointing an angry finger at his chest, she spat, "I think you owe me an explanation."

"I know... And I will explain everything I can. Is there someplace we can go to talk? I don't think this is the kind of conversation you want to have in the middle of the sidewalk."

Lindsay sighed. "Fine. Let's go." With that, she started walking back toward the lab where she had just left when she'd spotted Larsen tailing her.

When they got off the elevator on the correct floor, Lindsay led the man to an empty conference room. Once they'd entered, she shut the door and turned to the agent. "Okay. You were about to tell me who killed my husband."

Agent Larsen reached up and loosened his tie, nervously clearing his throat. "Ah, not exactly... I'm afraid I can't divulge that information just yet. He's the subject of an ongoing investigation. It's classified."

Lindsay's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "_Classified_?! Okay so you won't give me his name. Would you mind telling me why the hell he isn't rotting in some prison? You know he killed Danny! Why is he still on the loose?" Her voice had risen with each statement she uttered and now she was breathing heavily and trying not to cry.

Larsen looked around nervously. She was attracting a lot of attention from the other people in the lab and the glass walls didn't afford them much privacy. His hand went to fiddle with his tie again and he spoke with a calm he didn't feel. "I know you're angry. You have every right to be. But, I promise you, your husband's killer will be brought to justice. All we ask is that you be patient."

Lindsay ignored his statement. She made her way to the door and flung it open angrily, leaving the agent without a word. When she stepped out into the hall, Hawkes stopped her with his hands on her arms. "Linds? You okay, hon? What's going on?" He looked over her shoulder at the man that was still in the conference room. He had taken out his cell phone and was now talking to whoever was on the other end.

His soft, comforting tone coupled with the sincerity she saw in Sheldon's eyes were Lindsay's undoing. She waved a hand in the direction of the conference room while her eyes filled with tears. "He knows! He _knows,_ Sheldon and he won't tell me! _Classified_! Like hell! I... I can't _believe_ this! Oh, my g-- " Lindsay stepped back from Sheldon, her hands pushing her hair away from her face and holding her head.

Hawkes held up a hand. "Hey, Linds. Hold on a minute, here. Who is that guy? And what won't he tell you? What's classified, Linds?" His voice was still gentle but filled with obvious concern.

"Danny." Lindsay's response was a broken whisper.

* * *

"Hey, Messer! Get out here." 

Danny looked up from the picture he'd been staring at for the past fifteen minutes when he heard his name being called. He got out of the bed and put the picture of Lindsay back in his wallet. Stuffing it back into his pocket as he walked, Danny made his way out of the bedroom.

He stopped short when he saw Agent Denning standing in the living room, along with another man.

"Denning, what're ya doin' here? Thought ya wouldn't be comin by 'til next week."

The agent gave him a wry smile. "Change of plans. I have to go out of town on a 'job' for Mickey. Since we don't know how long it's going to take, Jacobs here is going to be keeping tabs on you. He's already been briefed and is aware of the situation. Thought I'd make the formal introductions myself. Agent Matt Jacobs, the late Detective Daniel Messer."

Danny took the hand Jacobs offered and shook, murmuring a low "How ya doin'?"

Denning clapped his hands twice and said, "Well, now that you've met, play nice kids. I've got a plane to catch. I'll be seeing you." With that, he left, locking the door behind him.

Danny shrugged mentally and said, "So, Agent Jacobs, you stayin' awhile? I was just about to have dinner."

The agent tilted his head and said, "I could eat. And please, call me Matt. I have a feeling we'll probably be getting to know each other better than we'd like these next few weeks."

Danny smiled for the first time in weeks. "I get the feelin' you're right."

* * *

Hours later, sitting in the living room, Danny roared with laughter at the story Matt was telling him about his days as a rookie. Wiping at the mirthful tears leaking from his eyes, Danny said, "Aw man, that's classic! I haven't laughed that hard in months." He got up and headed toward the kitchen. "Can I get ya another drink?" he called over his shoulder.

Chuckling, Matt called back, "Nah, I'm good, thanks."

Sitting back down in his chair, Danny studied the man sitting across from him and said, "You're alright, Jacobs... Even though you are a fed." he added, taking a swig of his beer.

Matt grinned and nodded. "You're not so bad yourself, Messer."

After a few minutes of silence Danny spoke. "So, you just gonna hang around here? Denning never stayed more'n a few hours."

Matt shrugged. "Right now, you're my only assignment. Just wrapped a case a few days ago. I volunteered for this. Figured it'd be a good break."

Danny nodded his understanding. Sitting back he asked, "No family waiting on ya? Wife? Kids?"

Jacobs held out his hands and shrugged. "Nothing yet. Right now, I'm married to the job. How about you? Family?"

Danny grinned and nodded again. "I'm married... To the most incredible woman on the planet. No kids yet. But we'll be workin' on that when I get back." He paused and then added, "If she doesn't kill me first."

Matt laughed as he downed the last of his drink. "Feisty one, huh?"

Danny's smile threatened to split his face. "You know it. Country girl. She's a cop too. CSI, just like me. Matter of fact, we met on the job." He pulled out his wallet and showed Matt the picture he'd been staring at earlier.

Matt whistled. "You're a lucky one, Messer."

Danny took the photo back and looked at it again before replacing it in his wallet. "Man, you have no idea."

* * *

A/N: Huge apologies!!! Hope you all haven't given up on this one! Got caught up with life and work and everything... And my computer is now officially dead.

Thanks to all of my reviewers!!! I PROMISE to update again soon. Like tomorrow...

* * *


	15. Heart to Heart

A/N: So I know I promised to update this yesterday but my computer did not wish to cooperate... It's all good though. Thanks to all my reviewers! Hope you like it!

* * *

Lindsay entered her apartment and kicked the door shut behind her as she thumbed through the large stack of mail that had accumulated while she'd been staying with Stella the last couple of weeks.

She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. She spoke softly to herself and separated the mail into piles on the coffee table. "Junk… Junk… Bill… Junk… Hmm. What's this?" She held up a slim package and shrugged. There was no return address. She set it on the couch next to her and finished going through the rest of the mail.

Lindsay got up and headed to the kitchen to throw out all of the junk mail and to get a glass of water. As she was making her way back to the living room, the phone rang. She snatched up the cordless phone and kept walking.

"Hello?"

_Lindsay, sweetie, hi!_

"Oh, hi, Mama Bella. How are you?" A smile split her face as she listened to the animated voice of her mother-in-law.

_I'm fine. Wondering how you and my grandchild are doin? We haven't spoken in a few days and I was thinking about you._

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Things have been a little crazy. I'm fine though. We're both fine." Balancing the phone between her shoulder and her ear, Lindsay sat down and picked up the package she'd been looking at when she came in. She ripped it open as she listened.

_Are you sure you're okay? Eating right? Taking good care of yourself? You're not overstressed are you?_

"No, Bella. I'm okay. I'm just taking things a day at a time. I'm not working too much. I'm getting regular check ups. I'm eating fine. Don't worry. I'm okay." She smiled at the concern in the older woman's voice then frowned when she withdrew the contents of the package. It looked like a DVD.

_You want I should prepare you some food you can keep in the freezer? I could drop by someday this week._

Lindsay got up and placed the disc in the DVD player. "You don't have to do that. I'm fine for food. I would love to see you, though, but you don't need to come into the city. I'm off this weekend. I could drive out then if you're not busy." She picked up the remote as she made her way back to the couch and hit play just as she was sitting down.

_Oh, Lindsay! You know I could never be too busy for you! You come on out on Saturday. I miss you._

Isabella Messer was still speaking but Lindsay couldn't hear a word she was saying. As she watched the video, she could hear her heart pounding and the sound of her blood rushing through her head. Suddenly she felt pain. Low in her belly, she could feel cramping. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought of what that meant for her baby. _No!_ her mind cried out.

Lindsay struggled to breathe. She could feel herself falling. The phone slipped from her grasp and onto the floor as she succumbed to the darkness that was consuming her.

The apartment was quiet except for the sound of a tinny voice coming from the phone where it landed on the floor in front of the couch.

_Lindsay! Lindsay, are you alright? Lindsay? Lindsay!  
_

* * *

Don made his way through the hallway toward Stella's office. He could see her sitting at her desk and he opened her door and poked his head in. "Hey, Stel, you wanna go grab lunch? My treat." 

Stella looked up at Flack and smiled. "You must have read my mind. I'm starving!" She put the papers she'd been looking through back into the file folder and stood up. "You got anything in mind?" She made her way to the door, grabbing her pocketbook on the way.

"Nah. You decide." Flack smiled down at her and waited.

Stella bit her lip as she thought about it. "Hmm. Someone's feeling generous… Um. I don't know. How about we just go to the deli up the block? I think I'm in a sandwich mood."

Flack chuckled softly as he hit the call button for the elevator. "Sure, Stel. Sounds good. I could go for a nice roast beef, myself. Or maybe a cheesesteak."

* * *

The deli wasn't too busy when they had arrived and they got their food in a very short time. After they'd eaten, Flack sat back contentedly. 

Stella regarded him thoughtfully. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, "What? I got food on my face or somethin'?"

Stella smiled and shook her head, sending her curls flying. "Nope. I was just thinking." She wiped her mouth with a napkin and wadded it up before tossing it onto her plate.

"Thinkin' what, Stel?"

She placed her hand over his and looked him in the eye. "You're a good friend, Donald Flack, Jr."

Flack chuckled and then gave her a sideways glance. "Ah… You're just sayin' that so I'll treat ya to lunch tomorrow."

Stella swatted at him playfully and laughed. "No. I'm serious. I was just thinking about how you've always been there when any of us needed you. You were there for me after the whole thing with Frankie. You've been there for Lindsay since Danny. You have this way of sweeping in to save the day, Flack, and you're good at it."

He shrugged noncommittally and said, "That's what friends are for, Stel. We're family, ya know. And we gotta take care of each other. S'nothin' any o' you wouldn't do for me."

Stella gave him a small smile. "But even when you're hurting too, Flack, you still put others before you. Like with Lindsay. You and Danny were best friends. You had to be in as much pain as she was. But still, you stepped in and you took care of her first."

Don shook his head a little bit and was quiet for a moment, gazing out of the window. When he turned back to Stella he spoke quietly. "Things are different wit' Lindsay, Stel.

"Some o' the guys at the station been raggin' on me, talkin' bout I'm movin' in on Messer's girl. But it ain't like that, ya know? I care 'bout Lindsay for herself. She's my friend, yeah. But she's also my _best friend's wife_. I _have_ t' look out for 'er. I gotta be there for 'er, Stel, cause Danny can't. I know if it was me, I'd want someone there for my wife.

"Danny loved 'er more 'en anything, Stel. She completed him. Anybody could see it. I mean, yeah, I love 'er. She's like my sister, ya know? But besides the fact that she's a great friend, she was the love of Danny's life. And that just makes it all the more important. Danny wouldn't let anythin' happen to 'er if he could help it. An' since he can't, I gotta step in. We always had each other's backs. And this is just like that."

Stella blinked back the moisture in her eyes conjured by his words and smiled. "Yeah, like I said, you are an incredible friend, Don."

Don leaned back in his chair and groaned good-naturedly. "Aghh… Stella, don't start wit' the water works, eh? You know I hate to see a pretty girl cryin'!" He shook a stern finger at her in mock indignation.

Stella laughed and dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. "Sorry. Sorry."

Don winked at her and said, "Yeah, sure you are… Ya ready ta go?" He stood and offered her his hand.

Stella reached up and took his arm, tucking hers in his and said, "Yeah. Thanks for lunch."

He waved away her thanks and opened the door for her with his free hand. The two of them were just stepping out of the door when his cell phone rang. "Flack."

_Donnie, it's Bella. I think there's something wrong with Lindsay._

Flack stopped Stella with a hand on her arm. "Wait, hold on. What's wrong with Lindsay? What happened? Where is she?"

* * *

A/N: Poor Linds... She just can't catch a break, huh? Let me know what you all think about this one!

Madison Bellows, TBD: Thank you so much! I'm glad to be back. Sorry for the scare, I know how those are... It's one of the reasons that I really feel that I must finish what I've started...

susan: I'm on my toes as well! ;-) I am going to do my best and I hope it will do our favorite couple justice.

Michaela Martin: They have no idea who they're messing with, do they? All I can say is this: Larsen should be watching his own back.

serena: But angst is good! No:-) I think they share a very sweet camaraderie...

Hera: There! Now you see, an update. ;-) I'm glad you're obsessed... Keep the reviews comin and I'll keep the updates comin... Whaddaya say?

Skylar87: Aaw... you sure know how to warm a girl's heart, Sky. I couldn't abandon this story. I want to see how it plays out too... Surprises all around coming soon!

Marian MacKenzie: Okay okay! I'm typing as fast as I can:-) Thanks 4 the review.

serenity2bliss: And now there you go... another update. Hope you're enjoying it!

fatkat: So glad you love it!!! And i don't know about you but missing updates can't be ALL bad... Because then there's more to read at once. What do you say?

* * *

Okay! That's all folks! See ya next time!


	16. What!

A/N: Wow!! My heart has swelled with the responses gotten for this story!! This chap is a short one... A sort of teaser, if you will... As always, any familiar characters aren't mine... as many stars I wish upon...

* * *

"Hey, Messer, get up. We've got a problem." Danny opened one eye and glared at the man standing before him.

"Matt, get outta here. I'm sleepin' man," Danny rolled over and closed his eyes again.

"Danny, I'm serious. You have to get up. We've got to get out of here." He shook Danny's shoulder.

Danny sat up slowly and yawned. "Wha'?"

Matt threw some clothes in his direction and said, "We have to go."

Danny blinked owlishly and yawned again. Reaching over to the nightstand, he grabbed his glasses and put them on. "Come again?" He stood and started to pull on the clothes the agent had given him. "Matt, what're you talkin' about? Where we goin?"

"Away from here. Petróv knows you're alive. It's only a matter of time before he finds out where you are and sends someone to finish you off."

Danny stopped short, his pants only halfway up his legs. "What? How the hell did he find out?" he asked.

Turning away from the detective, Matt headed in the direction of the kitchen. Danny quickly finished dressing and followed dutifully. He gratefully accepted the cup of coffee Matt was handing him.

"It would seem that there's a leak in the office. Someone spilled the beans to Petróv and we're not gonna wait around here to find out if he knows where you are."

Danny sighed. "Man, this just gets better an' better!" he muttered sarcastically.

Matt pursed his lips in irritation and said, "I'll say. We don't know yet where the leak is. So you and I are going off grid. Until we can figure out where Petróv's getting his information, we trust no one. Got it?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, no one." He went into the bedroom and grabbed his travel bag from the closet. He'd had it packed from day one. Denning had provided him with the essentials he would need if they were ever forced to change locations.

Danny remembered the agent's words. "You don't want to waste time packing a bag when you've got a killer on your tail. You'd most likely be standing around trying to figure out what you wanna take with you while somebody sneaks in and puts a bullet in your brain."

At the time, Danny hadn't thought it would be likely that they would have to change locations. He headed back into the kitchen and looked to Matt with a questioning gaze. "Ey, what about Denning? If Petróv knows I'm alive doesn't that mean he knows Denning's a phony?" He asked this while pulling on the baseball cap and shades that the agent handed him wordlessly.

Matt led him out through the garage to the car. Danny threw the bag in the backseat and climbed in. He looked at Matt expectantly and just waited. A heavy weight settled in his gut at the man's next words.

"Denning's dead."

* * *

A/N: Huh... Bet you all didn't see that one coming, didja?? Didja? Anyone who did, I'm sorry, I am trying very hard to keep you on your toes but if I am not succeeding, I apologize.

Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed!!

* * *

Pepite, Kaoli water goddess, netta, amy, Madison Bellows, Sky, ImaSupernaturalCSI, Susan1302: Next chap will have an update on Lindsay's condition... and will reveal the mysterious DVD... Promise!

messermonroe: Wow! Thank you so much, I like your analysis... I do think sometimes it is important to have the sentimentality/angst pairing... and you've hit the nail right on the head there with Don's relationship with Lindsay. Sorry to all the FL shippers out there, this story is purely DL!

OliviaElliotfan4ever, CheerGirl435, JennCorinthos : It's a short one, I know but did this update suffice??

indianaxxjones: Thanks so much! I am so glad you're enjoying it... joining you in the happy dance

fatkat: " reading more is always good, especially when it's  
well written, original, and real (that would be your story dear!)" --Careful my head may swell too much... but thanks a bunch, and i hope this chap whetted your appetite for more!

Skylar87: Don't you hate that?! Sometimes, I try not to check b4 heading out to work but it is a bit difficult...

Michaela Martin: Ahh, alas, Danny is not aware of teh existence of this child... I don't think he would have been able to stay away if he had...

aweena: WOW! I'm impressed... You made it all the way to the latest chapter very quickly... Gold star for you!

ImaSupernaturalCSI: Glad you're enjoying it and that you haven't given up on this story...

Marian MacKenzie: You think I'm even more mean now, don't you?! I'm sorry!!! Honestly, I don't know how many chapters this one is going to be... And I'm wondering if I should do a sequel...


	17. Leak

Disclaimer: I don't own them...

A/N: I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO incredibly sorry for the SUPER delay in updating this story!!! I haven't forgotten about it... Just been dealing with a LOT in my life for a while now... Don't give up on it yet! I haven't! Thanks to all my reviewers... You guys have been more faithful to this story than I have and in reality, give me a boost to keep writing it. I wanna see where it goes as well... So here goes!

* * *

Flack and Stella made it to Lindsay's apartment building in record time. Too anxious to wait for the elevator, they headed toward the stairwell and raced up the stairs.

Opening the door with the spare key Lindsay had given him long ago, Flack stepped into the apartment.

"Linds?" he called.

Stella's voice joined his. "Lindsay, are you here? Are you okay?" She turned her head to look around the living room and gasped. "Ohmigod, Don!" Stella rushed over to the younger woman's side.

Lindsay was lying on the floor in front of the couch. Her eyes were closed and there was blood flowing from a wound on her head.

"She's out. Call a bus." Stella checked her pulse and breathing. "She's got a pulse. It's steady. Her breathing's really shallow though, Don." When Flack didn't say anything, she looked up at him. His face was pale and it looked like he was staring off into space. "Don? What is it?" She followed his gaze and frowned when her eyes landed on the TV.

Stella gasped as she watched the horror unfolding before her eyes. The video was set in an alley. It showed Danny making his way to his car and getting in. Then the car blew up with him in it. Stella cursed under her breath and snatched the remote off of the floor, turning the television off.

She turned back to Don and said, "Did you call for an ambulance?"

Don snapped out of his trance and nodded quietly. With an unspoken agreement, neither of them spoke about what they had just seen. 

* * *

"Man, where are we goin?" Danny was annoyed. They'd been driving for hours and even at this point Matt made no indication of stopping. 

"Away. As far away as we can get." Matt's answer was brief.

Danny leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Any shot you think I can go home? I'm pretty sure your boy, Mickey won't be lookin' for me there." He spoke the words not expecting an answer. He wasn't disappointed. His question was met with a stony silence. "What the hell, Matt? Am I supposed to just keep on runnin' for the rest of my life? What if you feds never get 'im? Then what? I jus' keep movin' and I never see my wife again? Forget it, I'd rather be dead!"

Suddenly, the car screeched to a stop in the middle of the road they were on. Matt turned to face Danny. His face was livid. "Is that what you want? Huh? Do you want Petrov to find you and finish you off? Because, trust me, that can be arranged. All I have to do is make one phone call. One phone call to let everyone at the bureau know of our location and the mole, whoever the hell he is, will tell Mickey and you're as good as dead. So tell me Messer, is that what you want? Do you want me to make the call? Or are you, for once, all day, going to shut the hell up?!"

Danny didn't answer. He only turned and stared out the window sullenly. After a moment, Matt put the car back in gear and began driving again. 

* * *

Lindsay opened her eyes slowly and blinked at the bright light in her room. Looking around, she realized immediately where she was. _Why am I in a hospital?_ she thought. Through a small window in the door, she saw Flack and Stella talking to a tall man in a lab coat whose dark hair was sprinkled with gray. _Guess that's my doctor._ Lindsay shifted slightly on the bed and moved to sit up and winced when she felt pain in her head.

The door to her room opened and the doctor stepped in followed by Don and Stella. "Detective, you might want to take it easy a bit. You had a pretty bad knock on the head. You sustained a concussion so we're going to want to keep an eye on you overnight."

Lindsay frowned a bit at this and then taking a deep breath, she asked "What happened? Why am I here? Is everything okay with my baby?"

"Your baby's fine, Detective. Your friends brought you in because you had a head injury. You were unconscious. As to the events leading up to that, I am not aware. But I'll leave you all now. If you need anything, your call button is right there. I'll be back to check on you in a little while." The doctor made his way out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Stella came forward and grasped Lindsay's hand gently. "Linds, do you remember when you got home earlier today? You were talking to Bella on the phone..."

Lindsay looked at Stella with eyes that were confused. "I don't remem-- I don't know, Stel."

Stella shared a look with Flack and turning back to Lindsay, she said, "Don't worry about it kiddo. It'll come back to you. For now, you should get some rest." She patted the back of Lindsay's hand and let go. Then she stood and walked across the room to the window.

Lindsay looked from one to the other suspiciously. "What aren't you guys telling me? What happened?"

Flack sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Linds, we were headin' back to the lab from lunch an' Bella calls me. She said you had jus' got home and the two o' youse were on the phone an' while you were talkin' she heard what sounded like you fallin'. She was really worried and so she asked me ta check on you make sure everythin' was okay. So Stell an' I make our way ta your place an' I let us in wit the spare key you gave me." Flack paused and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, Lindsay was struck by the pain she saw in them.

Suddenly, her mouth went dry. Her hands grew damp and she twisted the sheet nervously in her fingers. "What?" Lindsay's voice was but a whisper.

Stella made her way back to Lindsay's side and took her hand again in a show of support. "Lindsay, sweetie, we found you lying on the floor in the living room. You were unconscious and had a wound on your head. It looked like you had fainted and then hit your head on the coffee table on the way down."

Frowning as she tried to remember, Lindsay spoke softly. "I fainted? Why did I--" Suddenly it came back to her. All color drained from her face. Lindsay's face was as white as the sheet she was twisting in her fingers. "Ohmigod. Ohmigod, oh God. The video! Oh God, Danny!" Lindsay moaned softly and then said, "I think I'm gonna be sick." Stella grabbed the wastepail and brought it to Lindsay's side just in time.

* * *

His voice was timid as he spoke. "I'm sorry, sir. I have no idea where Jacobs took him." He cleared his throat and reached up to loosen his collar. Sweat was pouring down his face as he looked at the man sitting before him. His superior was not happy. "He's gone completely off grid. I've tried reaching him but he is not answering his department issue phone. He hasn't returned any of my calls either."

He wasn't given an answer. All he received was an unwavering glare. Looking at the man who had the power to change his life completely, he swallowed hard and then continued. "I-- uh, ahem, I can have a uh-- a tech run a trace on his phone. We should be able to triangulate his position. Messer's with him. We find Jacobs, we find him too."

Still nothing. "Right. So I'll go take care of that... Don't worry sir, we're the FBI. We're not in the business of losing people." He smiled at his own joke. The mirth leaked from his face as he was given no response. Standing up, he straightened his tie and cleared his throat again. "I'll uh... I'll keep you apprised of the situation, sir."

It was at that point that his boss finally decided to speak. His voice was low. One almost had to strain to hear his words. "You had better, agent. I do not like being disappointed."

The agent swallowed again and nodded. "Right, sir. Thank you, sir, Mr. Petrov. Good day." He turned and left the room quickly.

He'd just gotten into his car when his department issue cell phone rang. Snatching it up, he answered brusquely, "Larsen."

* * *

A/N: Thanks again to all my reviewers! You guys rock!!! 


End file.
